


N’quari and Revelations

by stargatefan_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-10-06 14:12:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10336382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatefan_archivist/pseuds/stargatefan_archivist
Summary: Sg-1 goes toqua’ri to investigate a new planet, Daniel gets sick and loses consciousness. Part One of Series





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

N'qua'ri and Revelations  
 ****

N'qau'ri

 

"Chevron 4 is locked"....

"You know Daniel, there were people peeking into the MALP." O'Neill argued back. The image had shown people meandering around an open clearing, but the other MALP readouts detected no moving objects to track.

"Chevron 5 is encoded"....

"Jack, I'm am so tired of arguing this and everything else I tell you. If there had been real living people there the MALP would have been able to lock on and track one of them. It couldn't, therefore the image was flawed in some way." Daniel looked at Carter for support.

"Chevron 5 is locked"....

"I'm sorry Daniel, it's much more likely that the MALP wasn't working properly. Unless the people were holograms but there also wasn't any technology detected, other than the gate itself that is." Carter smiled wryly. Something was definitely strange. She hoped that the MALP was malfunctioning.

"Chevron 6 is encoded"....

"Perhaps it is a reflection, Daniel Jackson." Of course Teal'c new more about what has happened with gates and gate technology than how the gate's themselves work. And his knowledge of the MALP was limited.

"I only know of one way to be sure of anything and that's go look. Is everybody ready?" O'Neill checked his gear.

"Chevron 6 is locked"....

"Daniel Jackson, you appear unwell for this mission." Teal'c tilted his head slightly as if this would bring him some greater understanding of Daniel's confused look. Teal'c too had concerns about P4Y 5457. The MALP images reminded him of something. Something he couldn't remember to any degree of certainty.

"Chevron 7 is encoded"....

"I'm ok Teal'c, just a little tired. I'm ready to go." Daniel gave up the argument as he almost always did. In just a few minutes they would all know the truth.

"Chevron 7 is locked"...

********

As they stepped through the gate, the sun shone directly in their eyes. It temporarily blinded them so they couldn't see the many people gathered there. The gate was located in a quadrangle. On three sides were massive temples. Two were ornately covered in gold, as was the gate, but the third was pure white. Directly in front of the gate it was open to the sky. 

As their eyes adjusted, they saw thousands of white robe clad "people" kneeling before them. One hundred abreast, 50 or 60 rows all of them kneeling exactly the same. In the middle of the front row were 10 individuals also in white robes but clad also in fan shaped necklaces made of the same golden substance. Each necklace appeared to glow just slightly from the reflected light of the Stargate and the sun. Daniel adjusted his eyes and turned his head to see the liquid surface of the gate disappear and the temple behind it become visible. He felt even more tired now. And he also felt nauseated and dizzy.. 

Colonel Jack O'Neill stepped forward, toward the center of the 10, m-5 at hand, leaned forward just slightly and said, "Er, hi!" As Teal'c and Major Carter looked on and Daniel looked at the temples, a man in the midst of the ten tilted his head just slightly and looked up toward O'Neill. "er, Daniel, you wanna come here a minute?"

"Yeah, right. Coming." Daniel had to drag his weary mind away from the massive temples to pay attention to what was going on. He turned and walked down the ramp to where O'Neill now stood face to face with the robe-clad man who'd first looked up at him. "Jack," Daniel whispered, "where's the MALP?" Daniel gave a quick polite smile to the "priest"

"A'zur'ia N'qau'ri. Sa chadda n'tuo." The man spoke with a slight lilt in his tone, almost an Irish brogue but not so cheerfully. He waved an arm through the crowd and gestured for the four travelers to join him. The kneeling people neither raised their heads nor made a single utterance. They were hauntingly still. Still as death Daniel thought.

As they followed the "priest" O'Neill leaned back toward Daniel, "Hey d'you have any idea what he just said?"

"Well, he said A'zur'ia N'qau'ri." Daniel repeated with precision. "However, I haven't got a clue what it means. It really doesn't sound a bit familiar to me at all. Sorry. It was probably something like 'Welcome' or 'Follow me' or maybe 'Who the hell are you people!'" 

"Thanks Daniel, it's always good to have a expert along to help." O'Neill quipped. "It's really hot here. I wonder if it's summer time." O'Neill marched on with the others. He noted to himself that the weapons they were carrying weren't noticed or at least the man didn't seem to gesture to them at all. That, he thought, was at least a good sign. 

They passed through the end of the rows of people and turned toward the smaller of the three temples. The carvings on it seemed to depict people in various types of menial work. Over the entrance was a carving of a muscular man standing with his fists on his waist wearing what appeared to be a toga. At his belt was a great sword, wide bladed with a grapevine type of hilt. It hung through the man's belt with no scabbard. On his feet were what appeared to be Greek sandals. The statue of the man was about 20 feet tall and it was crowned with a star shape that hung over the man's head.

As they passed through the entrance Daniel ran his hand along the doorway. "It's smooth, like glass." He noted out loud. The tile they were walking on was a blue color similar to the color of the surface of the gate horizon. It was even liquid in appearance. The interior of the entrance area was about 40 feet wide and 50 to 60 feet deep. It was completely empty with bare white stone walls, a blue tile floor and some type of dark wooden ceiling. It was lit by some unknown ambient source. At the back wall of the entrance were 5 doors all identical dark wood just like the ceiling. 

The priest led them silently to the second to right most door. He stood silently before it for a moment and then it slid with a stone scraping stone sound to the left. He seemed to have done nothing to cause it to do so. O'Neill figured there must be a guard somewhere with a surveillance device. 

The corridor they entered was narrow, only about 3 feet wide. There were no doors to either side but O'Neill did notice they were going down hill, just slightly. Again the corridor was illuminated but O'Neill couldn't tell how. It was a cold place with no breeze. The stone seemed to steal the heat from his body. 

The corridor opened to a fire lit room. Daniel couldn't tell exactly how large the room was but it felt as though the ceiling was miles above him. He could see torches suspended on what he thought must be the outer walls of the room. In the center a 20 or 30 candle chandelier hung over a round seating area which was sunken into the ground about 3 feet. Two horseshoe couches, large enough for 10 people each, faced each other down in the seating area. The priest led them to the couches and gestured for them to sit. "A'zur'ia a'quar'di ni coh." He lilted. He bowed and walked back toward the corridor and disappeared.

********

Carter and Daniel sat down next to each other on the left-hand couch. Teal'c took a guard position above on the main floor and O'Neill began to pace. "Well, so far this has been er, interesting, I guess." O'Neill mused.

"It seems to be a Hindu type of temple, except of course for the obvious Greek overtones. Did you notice he repeated the word 'A'zur'ia.'" Daniel stretched his arms above his head and yawned. As he rubbed the back of his neck he turned to Carter, "Do you feel sick at all? I feel a little nauseated."

"I feel okay. I'm a little tired from the downhill trek. We must be about 20 feet underground by now." She caught O'Neill's eyes as he looked at her a little surprised.

"You noticed it too huh?" 

"I too noticed the decent O'Neill. I believe we are 15 feet below ground. The air in here is also different from that of the long hall. It is fresher, warmer." Teal'c did not move. He only stood and made his observations.

"The thing is," O'Neill pointed out, "the air shouldn't be better in here. It should be smoky even oily. But it's like outside air." He wet his finger and pointed it around the room. "There's no breeze that I can feel." He walked over to the couch area and sat across from Daniel. "What were you saying about the language?"

Daniel just looked at him as if he didn't understand the question. He took his glasses off and aimlessly cleaned them with a handkerchief he'd produced from his jacket. After he cleaned them, he replaced them on his face and looked back up at Colonel O'Neill. "What were you saying Jack?"

"Daniel, are you okay?" Carter leaned over and put her arm on Daniel's shoulder. 

"Hey Danny boy, c'mon." He thought this is just great. Daniel's sick and we've only been here for a half hour or so.

Daniel stood up and started to walk toward one of the walls. "Do you have your, oh I have mine." Daniel pulled out his flashlight and pointed it toward the wall. It was gray. He pointed it at the floor. It was blue. He pointed it at himself. He looked into the light, smacked the flashlight a couple of times and pointed it back at the wall. Carter walked up next to him, placed her palm on his forehead and turned to O'Neill. 

"He's got a fever. Daniel, do you feel dizzy or thirsty?"

"What Sam?"

"Are you dizzy? You have a fever." She looked at O'Neill as he approached. "He's confused and disoriented, sir." 

"Daniel look at me." He pulled Daniel's flashlight away from him and pointed it at his eyes. Daniel's eyes were blood shot and dilated. "Come on, let's go sit down."

"A'zur'ia, a'zur'ia hemmm." Daniel was talking to himself. "Blue, yes blue. Blue Nation, blue land, blue place, blue sky? Hmmmmm. A'zur'ia N'qau'ri. Welcome to N'qau'ri? Thaz a zenible thin ta zae." He slurred. As they approached the couch he collapsed and fainted on it.

*********

When Daniel opened his eyes he was staring at an azure sky. He turned his head slightly and saw Carter sitting next to a fire pouring coffee into a mug. He tried to clear his throat but he made no sound at all. He stared at her. Slowly her shape began to change. Next, her hair seemed longer and brown. "Shau're?" he said very softly. "Shau're, is that you?" He almost whispered.

She turned and smiled at him. He could feel the sand under his hands. His naked body was warm and comfortable. He felt peaceful. "Benehr resut Dani, benehr resut." Her expression as she spoke was of pure love. She moved to him as if floating. She ran her fingers through his sandy blond hair. 

"Shau're, what are you doing here?" He whispered. "I thought... I thought.. you were..." He trailed off unable to say the word 'dead'. He just smiled at her and stroked her cheek. She bent toward him and kissed him on the lips. He reached up, put his hand on her waist and gently pulled her to him. "I love you Shau're, with all my heart." He closed his eyes and allowed her to rest on his chest. She became lighter and lighter until he couldn't feel her anymore. He opened his eyes and she was gone.

"Daniel, are you ok." Carter heard him speaking to Shau're. She set the coffee pot back on the fire and walked over to where Daniel was laying in a sleeping bag. A tear rolled down his cheek as he turned his head to her and smiled a hollow but serene smile.

"She's gone." He smiled. "I thought I'd found her. But she's gone now."

"How's he doing?" O'Neill had to raise his voice a little so she could hear him.

"He's better. Not perfect, but better." She sat back. "Did you find anything? Any sign of them at all?"

O'Neill sat next to Daniel, Teal'c sat opposite Carter and they both shook their heads.

"We have found nothing of the civilization. It seems to have completely disappeared." 

"Where are we?" Daniel sat up slowly and looked around. They were in a perfect meadow. Large lofty trees surrounded a clear blue pond. Soft green grass cushioned the dry ground and hills in the distance reflected in the still water. It was probably 75 degrees Fahrenheit and there wasn't a cloud visible in the sky. "What happened to the city we were in? Where are the priests?"

"They just disappeared. You passed out and the whole shebang disappeared. Poof." O'Neill added for emphasis to his hand gestures which were typically short and rough. "What can you remember Daniel?"

"I remember, 'A'zur'ia N'qau'ri' I think it means 'Welcome to N'qau'ri." He leaned forward and took a 5th Avenue out of his back pack. As he opened it, he remembered giving some to Kasof once upon a time when life was more simple and carefree. He finally noticed the tear on his cheek and self consciously wiped it away.

"Now just how did you get that from 'asurdi nquara' or whatever?" O'Neill asked.

"Ah - jhur - i - a En -car - ee," he enunciated. "It just makes sense. If you are going to be civil that is. It's the first thing you say, 'welcome to our home et cetera. It's probably an alien language. 

"Daniel, that priest looked human to me. Except his eye color. Did you notice his eye color, it was almost lavender?"

"I believe the 'priest', as you called him, had seven fingers on each hand and his skin was bluish." Teal'c added.

"Yeah, and he had a strange ridge over his nose." O'Neill remarked.

"I saw no such alien features. I saw an old man in a white robe with a golden necklace. Nothing unusual about him at all. What is this anyway? This wasn't on the MALP. Are we even sure this place is real. I mean look at it. It's an absolutely perfect place." Daniel was standing up now gesturing around with his hands, almost ranting. "What kind of a place is this? Where's the damn Stargate? How did we get here?"

"Daniel, shut up." O'Neill cut him off. He walked over to a tree nearby and as he tried to slap the tree he said, "This is rea..." His hand passed right through the tree like it wasn't there. O'Neill jumped back, astonished, "Damn, what the hell is this?"

"It isn't real? None of this is real? Where are we? Daniel's right, where is the Stargate? We've just sat here for three days waiting for Daniel to wake up and we haven't even discussed finding the Stargate." Carter was now standing up and yelling as well.

"Alright everyone. Let's try to calm down, put our stuff together and find the Stargate." O'Neill ordered.

**********

As they finished packing all their gear, Daniel kept repeating to himself, "three days, my God. Three days...." He flipped his pack onto his back and walked over to O'Neill. "I'm ready. Did I hear Sam right? Have I been unconscious for three days?"

"Yep. How are you doing, by the way? Are you still dizzy?" O'Neill swung his pack up and checked his gun.

"I feel nauseated but well enough to walk." He looked around again and tried to touch the "tree" they were standing next to with no luck. "Where in this illusion are we going? How do you think this is being done Sam?"

"I haven't got the foggiest Daniel." Carter said as she joined them under the "tree". "If it's a projection there has to be a limit. A wall or a projector. There is some limit to how far a projection can be lit. We just need to walk in one direction, without altering our course and we'll hit the edge." 

"I agree with Major Carter. If we do not deviate we shall come out of this." Teal'c was sure. He was always sure of what he said.

"Well, which way then. My compass says that way is north." O'Neill pointed beyond Daniel. "We'll go, er, east, okay with everyone else?" O'Neill didn't really care if they agreed he was just trying to be civil.

"Let's do it, sir." Carter answered.

***********

The landscape didn't change for half a day, but the pond disappeared into the distance; which was a great sign, Carter thought. If the image were tracking them they'd be stuck for sure. In front of them was a wide valley speckled by lofty deciduous looking trees. The further they walked the more hills they could see to the side and in front of them.

Late in the afternoon the ground began to rise into foot hills. Daniel noticed some strange looking stones fifty or sixty yards off to one side and insisted on investigating them. As he approached the stones he thought for the first time of the people praying in the quadrangle. What if they had been statues. Very life like statues, he had to admit, but statues just the same. He leaned in close to one of them. "Hey, this is the same stone the temple was made of. Wow, this stone has a face and hands. Look, you can just make it out."

"This one too, Daniel," O'Neill pointed out. "I guess we better stay here for the night." O'Neill set his pack down next to one of the stone people. "Teal'c, Carter, let's get set up. Daniel have a look around and see if you can find anything else." 

O'Neill began gathering rocks into a circle to make a fire. "Carter, go through everyone's stuff and find out how much food we have. Teal'c see if you can find some real wood like we had the last couple of nights. I'm gonna go up to the top of that hill and have a look around myself."

"Hey, this is real. Sam, Jack look at this." Daniel shouted as he touched the statue.

"These trees, too are real Daniel Jackson." Teal'c leaned solidly against a tree.

"Well alright then." O'Neill smiled, "We're getting somewhere."

"Hey, I don't get it. We never passed anything that would indicate we changed our conditions. Where was the edge of the illusion." Carter walked around touching things as she went. Everything was solid.

"Well, turn around Carter." O'Neill pointed in the direction from which they had come. It was different. It was a forest of coniferous trees. There was a pathway leading through them that was covered in fallen and decaying pine needles. A small animal flitted across the track and a bird screeched in the distance.

"All appears to be real." Teal'c said as he began picking up pieces of fallen wood to make a fire with.

"Hey guys there's some writing hear on a tablet." Daniel sat down next to the stone tablet and took out a pen and paper. 

They spent the next two hours setting up camp. The fire was burning brightly and coffee was brewing when Daniel finally gave up for lack of light and joined the others next to the fire. "I have about eleven pages of the writing. God I wish the light was a little better. How much battery power do we have?"

"Not enough Daniel. Give it a rest. Have some food." O'Neill ordered.

*********

The next morning began their fifth day on the planet without reporting in. O'Neill wondered if Hammond would send a rescue or declare them missing or what he would do. Reporting in at least once a day is the usual, but how do you report in when you can't even find the Stargate? 

The first thing that O'Neill noticed was that the stone/statues were gone. They were still on the edge of a forest just into the foothills, but the statues were gone. "Hey Teal'c?"

"Yes O'Neill."

"Where'd the statues go?"

"I do not know O'Neill. Perhaps they were an illusion." Teal'c walked over to where O'Neill was now standing. They were looking for any sign that the statues had been there.

"Alright. I'll wake them up, see if you can find some more wood."

The sun was just beginning to peek over the hills. Teal'c was looking for signs of people, animals or anything moving around. Carter, curled up on her side was sound asleep, but, O'Neill noticed, Daniel was sleeping fitfully. He was tossing and turning and mumbling to himself. This only served to remind O'Neill that Daniel wasn't well. They needed to find the Stargate and get him to Dr. Fraiser. As he watched Daniel, he heard him calling out softly to Shau're. 'How sad,' he thought, 'for Daniel to lose his wife so young.'

Daniel didn't do this often on missions. He watched the young man struggle everyday to deal with this death and it brought him back to his son's death. He didn't deal with that half as well as Daniel was. But Daniel was having problems. He cried out in his sleep, so O'Neill figured the poor kid was reliving her death. He had seen it, even if he didn't remember right away how it happened the memory was their.

"My God! Where did the statues go? My notes?" Daniel quickly looked through his things and found his notebook. "It's all here Jack. I copied the writings from those statues and they're all here." Daniel showed the writing to Jack. 

"It doesn't look much like a language." 

"It looks like Sanskrit."

"What's that?"

"It's Hindi, sort of. It's prehindi. The temple looked Hindu as well. But this isn't Sanskrit, it just looks that way. And the temple, it wasn't Hindu, it had a Greek statue on it. It's like a collage nightmare I once had when I was studying Ancient Egyptian and Summarian script at the same time. I kept dreaming I was in a pyramid and the Euphrates was rising."

"That's stress for ya. But stress doesn't usually affect two or more people with the same hallucinations, does it?"

"No. Jack it doesn't. I can't decipher this writing, I don't think it's real."

After O'Neill woke Carter they all decided that Carter and Daniel would stay there and fold the camp up while Teal'c and O'Neill would look ahead.

*********

Teal'c and O'Neill topped a small ridge where the woods came to an end. In front lay a wide expanse. The ground was covered in rubble and brush. A narrow path like that of an animal led down from the hill into the rubble and disappeared.

O'Neill pressed the talk button on his comm, "Carter, you there?"

"Yes, sir."

"We're in a rubble field about 6 clicks east of your locale. It looks like the remains of a huge city. Better get Daniel and get over here."

"Yes, sir. We'll be right along."

Teal'c and O'Neill approached the rubble field cautiously with their weapons at the ready. Strewn among the giant blocks and cobble stones were broken pots and skeletal remains. One skeleton was holding onto a smaller skeleton. Laying nearby was the skeleton of a small animal. There were several skeletons holding what appeared to be small ornate swords. In some places there was glass spread about like an explosion hit a window. In other places the stone was scorched black. Most of the rubble was white with small blue speckles.

"This appears to be the sight of a great battle, O'Neill." Teal'c leaned down and ran his hand along the blade of one of the swords. "It is a strong blade. Not, I suppose, strong enough though."

O'Neill set his pack down and took out a small Geiger counter. "Well," he said as he measured a few things, "there is a slight radiation field, but it isn't dangerous." Next he retrieved a Tok'ra device for measuring naquada. "I'm gonna look around, see if the Stargate is here somewhere. Although I don't know how it could be. We came through the damn thing and I haven't heard any explosions that would cause this kind of damage. Wait up there," he pointed at the top of the hill, "for Carter and Daniel. I'll try to stay in sight."

After three hours Carter and Daniel appeared. Teal'c and O'Neill had started a fire at the edge of the forest and were sitting next to it resting. "What took you so long Carter?"

"Sir, Daniel's been sick all the way here. I think we better set up shelter and get him to bed." Carter sat her pack down and led Daniel to a place to sit. She removed his pack and helped him get a drink of water.

"Damn it. Okay. The Stargate isn't here. There isn't any naquada around for miles as far as I can tell." O'Neill continued as he began to unpack the shelter equipment. "I searched every scrap of ground over there and nothing."

Daniel got back up and struggled to the top of the hill where he could see the rubble field. "Oh no. Oh dear God, what a mess. This is so sad...."

"Okay, Daniel." O'Neill followed him up there. "It's just an old rubble field. You've seen hundreds of sites. Surely you don't get this upset everytime. Why don't you come sit down and have a rest."

Daniel wasn't listening to him. He struggled down the hill and began going through the field. He leaned over the woman's and child's skeletons and sighed. O'Neill was standing over him now. "Oh Jack. This is terrible. How could they do this to women and children? What's the sense of killing the defenseless?"

"Daniel, what are you talking about? This must have happened a hundred years ago. Why is this place so important to you?" O'Neill touched Daniel shoulder.

"This is it Jack. The temples were right over there." He said pointing south east. "You see the scorch marks. They look like death glider hits. The Goa'uld were here. They destroyed everything. We'll never get home now..." He trailed off.

"Daniel, I've checked the area for Naquada, there isn't any. The Stargate wasn't here. This isn't the place where we arrived."

"They must have taken it with them Jack." Daniel got up and walked in the direction he had pointed. As he got there he changed direction just slightly as if here were following a street or a well worn path. He stopped and stood facing east. He wiped sweat from his forehead and dropped to his knees.

By this time, Carter and Teal'c had followed O'Neill and Daniel to the field and were now approaching Daniel. "Daniel, what is it? What's wrong?" Carter said as she knelt next to him.

"It's gone, Sam. The gate, the temples, the DHD, the priests, everything -- it's all gone." He sighed heavily. "We're never going home."

"Carter, get the Tok'ra Naquada sensor." O'Neill ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"Teal'c, help me get Daniel back to camp. We're gonna stay here for awhile. That is, at least until Daniel here pulls his head out and starts acting like himself again."

Teal'c took Daniel back to camp and Carter retrieved the Tok'ra device. She activated it directly over the site where Daniel had been kneeling. Then she walked slowly east until she ran into rubble that she couldn't pass, about 20 feet. She turned, moved ten feet to the south and walked slowly back. Once again she turned, moved 40 feet to the north and walked again until she reached the rubble pile. Finally, she turned and walked back to O'Neill.

"There isn't any Naquada here sir. If there had been a gate here I should be able to read trace amounts of the mineral. Even if someone had completely removed the gate and the DHD there would still be traces of the Naquada. Just the action of activating the gate repeatedly leaves a trace of Naquada on the surrounding ground and structures. Sorry sir. I can't find what Daniel says was here." Carter turned the device off and looked eastward, in the same direction O'Neill was facing.

"Yeah, well. We'll stay here until Daniel feels better I guess.

"Sir, if I may? I don't think we should stay. I think we have to find the gate and get Daniel out of here. He isn't gonna feel better until we can get him off this rock and back to the SGC."

"You may be right, but we can't go anywhere tonight. Right, well, we'll try to leave in the morning. I don't know where were gonna go. Maybe we should try to send a signal. If the gate is opened from Earth and we send a signal, do you think they'd be able to pick it up? I mean since we are obviously so far from the gate?"

"We'd have to send it when they had the gate open sir. A strong signal could reach maybe 15 miles or so sir. It's worth a try." She noted quietly to herself that the odds of sending the signal right when the gate was open were astronomical.

**********

Daniel awoke and knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. He struggled to find his glasses and put them on. He quickly noticed that Carter and O'Neill were standing in front of him facing the other way with their hands in the air. He couldn't see beyond them. He had no idea of what would make them do that. He also couldn't see Teal'c anywhere.

"Hey," he said as he abruptly stood up between them, "what's going on..." An arrow flew through the air and stuck deeply in his right side. He dropped immediately to the ground. Carter followed him as O'Neill yelled, "NO."

Several zat shots echoed through the early morning air. Screams followed.

Teal'c ran up to O'Neill, "I'm sorry, O'Neill. I did not arrive soon enough. The others have scattered." 

"Jesus, Daniel." O'Neill yelled. "Carter, how is he?"

"He's hit bad, sir." Carter removed the clothes from around the arrow and checked Daniel for blood loss. "It may have hit his liver, his gall bladder or his right kidney. It may not have hit anything. I can't tell without medical equipment."

"Can we take it out?"

"That wouldn't be advisable, sir. We could do more damage taking it out than it did going in. We could cut the ends off though." Carter grabbed her pack and pulled it over to where Daniel lay unconscious. "I'll give him some morphine and start him on antibiotics, but if there's poison on the arrow then there'll be nothing I can do."

"Don't even say that Carter. We'll have to move him to a more defensible position and Teal'c and I are gonna have to find the gate." He turned to Teal'c, "See if you can find a place to hide Carter and Daniel, I'll stand guard." O'Neill picked up his m-5 and cocked it. He looked all around, over and over again. "Carter, did you send that signal we discussed?"

"Yes sir, no response."

"I'll send another one, then we'll send the signal every 30 minutes until we here from them or we find the gate ourselves." O'Neill kept turning and looking in every direction.

Carter cut the ends of the arrow off and wrapped the wound as best she could. "Yes, sir. Sir I think we'll have to broadcast constantly. And if we could get the transmitter higher up in the air we could increase it's range."

"I don't know what we'll be able to do with those aliens hunting us. It looks like Teal'c may have killed four of them. That's just gonna piss them off even more."

Teal'c returned 20 minutes later. "Colonel O'Neill, I have found a place I believe we can defend."

"Do you think Carter could defend it on her own?"

"Yes, It is a small cave beyond the end of that hill." He said as he pointed south. "Why must she defend this place on her own Colonel O'Neill?"

"Because, Teal'c, if we don't find that damn gate, Daniel's gonna die. She'll have to defend him, send a constant signal for help and take care of them both while we look for it."

After they packed up everything and loaded it on their backs to the cave, O'Neill and Teal'c returned to the forest edge and retrieved Carter and Daniel. They did their best to carry Daniel to the cave without hurting him. O'Neill helped Carter set up while Teal'c stood guard. "I don't think you should burn a fire Carter, it might attract attention."

"Sir, I think we already have their attention. Besides, he's gonna need a fire to stay warm. And I'll need hot water to clean his wound out with."

"Alright. I'll start a fire. I'll leave my zat gun with you, you have your m-5 -- and I'll leave my extra clips, just in case you need it. But if they show up, you call me first and then start shooting. Kill em all if you have to, Carter, I don't give a rat's ass about their lives now."

"Yes, sir. I'll do what I can."

**********

Two days passed and although Carter knew they were out there the aliens didn't attack her or show themselves. Daniel began burning a fever on the second day and now was dillusional, ranting in what Carter thought must be Abydonian. She cleansed his wound every four hours and tried to keep his head cool but it was a loosing battle. If Teal'c and O'Neill didn't find that gate soon he would die. She wasn't so sure that finding the gate would save him now.

*********

Teal'c and O'Neill had found the gate on the second day but it was surrounded by the aliens that had shot Daniel. O'Neill didn't tell Carter about the gate when he called her because he didn't want her to get to excited. The strangest part of it was that the temples, the priests and all the gold wasn't anywhere to be found. These aliens were primitive and O'Neill was sure they couldn't have made holograms. He was also sure that they had no idea what the gate was. He wished to God that Daniel was here and could talk to these aliens.

"Colonel O'Neill perhaps we should retrieve Daniel Jackson and Major Carter. Then we could fight our way to the gate. It is indeed the gate we traveled through, I can see the MALP amongst the crowd."

"I think it would be better to fight our way through, go back get about twenty soldiers and a rescue team, maybe Doc Fraiser and a couple of hand grenades and come back and round up these damn aliens... well you get my drift."

"It will not do us any good to start another war Colonel O'Neill."

"Still. That's just what we're gonna do." O'Neill raised his m-5 in the air and turned to Teal'c, "You ready for this?"

"Yes, I am ready."

O'Neill fired several shots in the air and ran screaming in the direction of the gate. Aliens scrambled in every direction. One tried to face down Teal'c but Teal'c shot him dead. That convinced the others to get the hell away from the gate and in short order. Women and children screamed and men ran for cover. O'Neill ran up to the DHD firing the gun all the way. He quickly began dialing home and Teal'c fired constant shots over the heads of the aliens.

After about 1 minute the gate opened and O'Neill ran up to it with the GDO transmitter. "Come on Teal'c, let's go." 

Teal'c walked up the ramp backwards continually firing over the hiding aliens. O'Neill stepped through the gate followed immediately by Teal'c.

**********

Klaxons were ringing and red lights flashing. The transmission of the GDO preceded Teal'c and O'Neill by only seconds. It was barely enough time for them to open the iris. O'Neill came out of the gate yelling, "Shut the iris, turn it off, dial back -- right now. Don't drag your feet."

Gen. Hammond walked up to O'Neill but O'Neill didn't give him time to speak. "We need a strike force right now. Where's Dr. Fraiser, Daniel's been shot, get her down here with a rescue team. Why haven't you dialed back yet?" O'Neill yelled.

"Slow down Colonel, Major redial P4Y 5457. Now son, tell me again. You said Dr. Jackson's been shot. Who shot him?"

"Some primitive aliens." O'Neill turned to a young soldier standing nearby. "Give me a concussion grenade." He ordered.

"Yes sir." The smart reply was followed by the young soldier handing O'Neill the small hand bomb.

"Chevron 7 is locked...."

The gate opened. O'Neill ran up to the event horizon, activated the concussion grenade and threw it in. He pointed his gun at the event horizon as he yelled, "let's go, let's go."

The small unit of security looked to Gen. Hammond. "Go on. Go get Dr. Jackson and Major Carter." He turned to look through the observation window. "Get Dr. Fraiser down here with a rescue team."

"O'Neill, bring em back."

"Damn right."

************

They emerged on the other side to --- nothing. No aliens, dead or alive. The area appeared the same. It was a small valley. To the west was the cave O'Neill left Carter and Daniel in. The soldiers poured through the gate piling on top of one another. They surrounded the gate. All was secure. The MALP sat to one side undamaged by the concussion grenade that O'Neill had uselessly thrown through the event horizon.

"Colonel O'Neill?" General Hammond's cool voice came from the other side.

"Yeah. We're all clear here. Send the rescue team, we don't have a lot of time."

"On their way."

They cleared the area of the gate for the rescue team to come through. 

"Where is he Colonel." Dr. Fraiser stepped up to O'Neill with a concerned look on her face.

"He's about a day and a half west of here in a cave. He's been shot with a primitive arrow."

"Let's go get him then." 

"Teal'c, Lt. bring your squad. Sergeant guard the gate and stay in constant communication. It'll take us 3 days to get there and back."

*******

The next morning Daniel had stopped mumbling in his sleep. He'd stopped tossing and turning. He lay very still. Carter checked him for the fortieth time for vital signs. They were still there and still shallow. She cleansed his wound and spoke to him softly, but it was no use. This was it. He had very little time left and she hadn't heard from O'Neill in more than a day. Either he was out of range or lost or dead. She didn't know anything and it really agitated her.

Then all hell broke loose. Arrows began flying at her from every direction. She pressed the talk button, "Colonel, this is Carter. If you can here me. We are under fire, repeat, we are under heavy fire."

She began rapid fire in all directions with the m-5. Suddenly she heard m-5 fire from the east. And O'Neill yelled, "Major, cease fire, cease fire."

The aliens scrambled again. Dr. Fraiser ran in the direction of the cave jumping a small outcropping of stones as she entered the cave and hit the deck. "Good to see you Sam, how's he doing?"

"Breathing his last breath Janet."

O'Neill, Teal'c and the squad secured the area as Dr. Fraiser and Major Carter worked on Daniel. "Bring the stretcher Lt." Janet shouted. "We're gonna have to work fast. He needs surgery." She started an I.V. and put a field patch on the front and back wounds.

"How's he doing doc. " O'Neill leaned in.

"We don't have much time Colonel.

Gently they placed Daniel on the stretcher, lifted him and began to walk back to the gate.

As they approached the gate the next day they could hear rapid gun fire in the distance. "Carter, Doc stay here. Sergeant Leonard you stay with them. C'mon everyone else."

As Teal'c, O'Neill and the squad approached the small rise before the valley, several explosions could be heard. They looked over the rise to the gate and saw the gate defense team surrounded by aliens firing arrows from what appeared to be cross bows. Several soldiers appeared to be down, most were still rapid firing m-5 and throwing concussion grenades.

They ran down toward the gate, as close as they could and opened fire on the aliens closest to them. Aliens dropped left and right for a few seconds and then they simply disappeared. The fighting stopped. Everyone looked around at each other astonished. O'Neill pressed the talk button, "okay, Carter, bring him on up. Let's go.

**********

Three days later Daniel awoke surrounded by Sg-1, General Hammond and Doc. Fraiser. Dr. Fraiser was leaning in very close to Daniel and whispered, "How are you Daniel? How's the pain?"

"Uh, its painful." He groaned. "Where am I," he whispered back.

"SGC, Daniel." She looked up at those gathered, "I think he's gonna be okay."

"What, uh," he groaned, "what exactly happened back there?"

"It's a long story, needless to say N'qua'ri is off limits." General Hammond remarked. 

"Not a thing redeeming about the place." Colonel O'Neill added.

  
_It's never over til it's over. Please read part two._

[[ Part 2 ]](http://astele.co.uk/StargateFan/Chapter/Details/nquari2.html)

* * *

>   
>  © April 24, 2001  
> The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp.  
> The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters  
> who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names,   
> titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television,   
> Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.   
> Partnership.  
> This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and   
> solely meant for entertainment.   
> All other characters, the story idea and the story itself   
> are the sole property of the author.   
> 

  


* * *

##### A special thank you to Jim Loy for assistance in writing the Egyptian phrases herein. The alien language herein is a pure fabrication by the writer. No similarities to human languages living or dead are intended 

* * *

  



End file.
